Kuwait postpones first parliament session until October 18

The new assembly will convene a week later than scheduled

Kuwait's parliament building in Kuwait City. EPA

Kuwait has postponed the first session of its newly elected parliament until October 18, the government said on Saturday.

The news was announced by Tareq Almezrem, head of the Centre of Government Communication, on Twitter.

The first session was originally scheduled for October 11.

Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal reappointed Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al Sabah as prime minister on Wednesday and later approved a new Cabinet.

Kuwaitis held a parliament election on September 29 with 305 candidates vying for 50 seats in the National Assembly, including 22 women.

Twenty-eight seats were won by opposition candidates, while 20 MPs lost their seats, including three former ministers.

Parliament will again involve women after Jenan Bushehri and Alia Al Khaled were elected as part of the opposition.

The previous parliament was dissolved by the crown prince in an effort to end a political standoff between the government and the legislature.

Deadlock with the Cabinet delayed the approval of a state budget for fiscal year 2022-2023 and economic reforms.

The budget, which has to be voted on before November, has set spending at 23.65 billion dinars ($77.2bn) compared with 23.48bn dinars in the 2021-2022 budget.